American Social Policy in Comparative Perspective

This course provides a graduate-level survey of the politics that shape social and redistributive policies in the United States. We will consider what is distinctive about American social policy compared with social protection in other advanced economies. Will begin with different approaches to understanding variation in welfare states. Will examine distinctive features of American policy including reliance on tax benefits, federalism, racial politics, politics of gender, strategies of privatization, and housing in economic security. We conclude by considering factors that will shape the future of social policy including the politics of retrenchment, social investment, and racial and ethnic diversity.